(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 25, 2018, French actor Gerard Depardieu waves as he arrives at the Town Hall in Brussels for a ceremony as part of the ‘Brussels International Film Festival’ (Briff).According to judicial source on August 30, 2018, French actor Gerard Depardieu faces probe over alleged rape and sex assaults. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / THIERRY ROGE / Belgium OUT

France’s biggest international star Gerard Depardieu on Thursday issued a strong denial after it emerged he faces an inquiry into allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Depardieu “absolutely denies any attack, any rape”, his lawyer Herve Temime said on his behalf, reacting to news that the Paris public prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary inquiry over alleged “rapes and sexual assaults”.

The probe follows a complaint lodged on Monday in southern Aix-en-Provence, according to a judicial source.

Depardieu, 69, is known as a larger-than-life character with a life-long penchant for making headlines.

The accusations against him are the latest to be made in the wake of the rape and assault claims against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and the Me Too movement that they gave rise to.

“I regret the public nature of this process which poses a major prejudice to Gerard Depardieu, whose innocence I am convinced will be recognised,” his lawyer Temime added, calling for restraint on all sides.

A prolific actor having made more than 180 films, Depardieu became the very face of French cinema due to roles in films such as “Cyrano de Bergerac” for which won best actor at the Cannes film festival and was nominated for an Oscar.

He made his name in the 1974 film “Going Places” after which he enjoyed a meteoric rise, demonstrating talent and allure in wide-ranging roles in classics, dramas and comedies alike.

Other notable Depardieu performances include roles in Francois Truffaut’s “The Last Metro”, the Marcel Pagnol-inspired film “Jean de Florette”, “The Valley of Love” and four “Asterix and Obelix” films.

– Fame and fortune – Once described by actress Brigitte Fossey as “both an ogre and a poet”, Depardieu worked under directors ranging from Bernardo Bertolucci, Andrzej Wajda, Jean-Luc Godard and Ridley Scott.